I'll try to keep this short ! I have recently seemed to inherit a drain problem in my village, a clean water pipe that leads away from a septic tank keeps blocking up, tree roots and old ceramic pipes, and is causing tge septic system to back up but the problem is where the pipe runs thru there is a large 3 phase electic cable running to a substation which appears to be right on top of the drain pipe ! Would the electricity company(northen powergrid) come out and uncover the cables ? I've got maps off them in the past for cable locations but with this problem there is no margin for error when it comes to finding the drain even with a spade ! Any advice would be good !
Electricity cable/drain problem
- Thread starter Landrover
- Start date
Get the powet company out to markmthre line of cable and depth ,thenn dig around with insulated spade
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Just what I was about to say! Some utilities will charge, but it's best to get the pros to locate & mark up!
I would rather pay than hit it
I have spoken to them to get a map but the person on the phone said they only send maps and its up to us to find cables, had a digger driving friend who marked it out with his cable finder but i just thought with the proximity to a substation (less than 30m) and the fact the cable was installed on top of the drain by them would help ! The septic tank has been there for 50+ years and works perfectly ! Just the drain away from it that is the problem !
I work for the gas mate on the leaks so deal with these company's a lot and it's safe to say that if it don't involve profit there not normally that bothered!
If it was me I'd get a c scope locater which has a depth finder on , they are reasonably accurate as well and expose said cable by hand, if you want to resolve the drain problem quickly contacting the power company could put an end to that idea!
If it was me I'd get a c scope locater which has a depth finder on , they are reasonably accurate as well and expose said cable by hand, if you want to resolve the drain problem quickly contacting the power company could put an end to that idea!
TripleSix
Member
- Location
- Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Can you not just dig a new pipe in and avoid the cables?
At what sort of depth is the sewer pipe?
Caught underground cable with the plough a year or two back.
Within a couple of hours SSE had 3 diggers out digging a deeper trench across the field.
If you think electric cable may be less than 600mm deep would think you could be able to persude them to do something about it on safety grounds.
Caught underground cable with the plough a year or two back.
Within a couple of hours SSE had 3 diggers out digging a deeper trench across the field.
If you think electric cable may be less than 600mm deep would think you could be able to persude them to do something about it on safety grounds.
After a helpful phonecall this morning to northern powergrid they are going to send someone out for a site vist due to the unusual situation ! Really helpful when you get thought to the right person ! They agreed with me that the subcontractors who put the cable in may have cut corners as the cable route when found with a detector is nowhere near where it is marked on their map ! In some cases up to 6 meters away and may been not deep enough !
Strange to hear that as we have a variety of gas mains though the farm and the minute we say we are going moling / ditching they have someone round in a van marking it all and checking depths etc. Perhaps its the £750k of gas going through it a day they are more bothered about!
They also have bad dudes in a black helecopter who will stop and bollock us if we dont let them know in advance!
Or send someone in car to pay you a visit and have a word with you if you are seen within 200 yd of the pipe on a digger